Guest Thinkers — December 21, 2010

Strange Times

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

So, right now, Ali Abdullah Salih is being parodied on Saturday Night Live. For long-time Yemen observers, and Waq al-Waq readers, we have entered very strange times.

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Black and white portrait of a man with a thick mustache and short hair, looking slightly to the side.

Thinking

The case for Nietzsche’s “Overhuman” as a prophecy of superintelligent AI

“Could you create a god?” Nietzsche’s titular character asks in “Thus Spoke Zarathustra.”

Two children in gray coats are standing outdoors. One is gesturing with her hand while the other looks on attentively.

Neuropsych

Blaming our genes: The heritability of behavior

When it comes to behavior, genetics may play a larger role than you think.

evolution universe cosmic history big bang

Starts With A Bang

The Big Bang: a series of steps down an energy staircase

From a hot, dense, uniform state in its earliest moments, our entire known Universe arose. These unavoidable steps made it all possible.

Sunlight streaming into a dark cave through an opening, reminiscent of Plato's Cave, illuminates the rocky interior.

Thinking

Plato’s cave and the stubborn persistence of ignorance

Plato’s cave metaphor illustrates the cognitive trap of ignorance, where we may be unaware of the limitations of our understanding.

A black-and-white photo of two prisoners in uniforms stands next to a colorful animated image of a hot dog bun character with a sausage character, creating an unexpected juxtaposition that highlights the beauty of contrasts.

Thinking

Everyday Philosophy: If beauty is subjective, is “Shawshank Redemption” no better than “Sausage Party”?

Will “Sausage Party” survive the test of time?

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